


N E G L E C T   M E   N O   M O R E

by Gingergrowl



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrienette is not endgame, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Salt, felinette - Freeform, mlb salt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-24
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:27:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 17
Words: 17,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21998962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gingergrowl/pseuds/Gingergrowl
Summary: After months of neglect from her friends, Marinette decides to transfer schools. These so-called friends of hers have made her an emotionless shell of who she once was.Marinette's days of neglect slowly begin to change when she meets a cold-hearted boy named Felix Graham de Vanily. Together, they begin to change each other for the better, making new friends and enemies along the way.Little do they know, that this fateful meeting will impact Paris and the miraculous in ways big and small.Includes:-Jealous love intrests! (aka Adrien/Cat Noir, Bridgette, Lila, Alya and more!)-Chloe redemption!-Lila salt!-Alya salt!-Adrien salt!-New miraculous holders! (Including Kagami, Chloe, Luka, and more!)-Better friends!-Marinette getting what she deserves!
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Ladybug/Felix Agreste, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Félix Graham de Vanily, Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Felix Agreste, Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Félix
Comments: 177
Kudos: 1058





	1. n e g l e c t

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two months after Lila's return, Marinette is a very different girl from who she one was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A really short chapter for the beginning. (Please read the author's note at the end!)
> 
> s o r r y

After hours of careful consideration, Marinette finally decided that it would be better for her to transfer to DelaCour lycee— a highschool for the young, yet talented individuals to nurture and perfect their skills.

She had already been accepted into the school, the paperwork and letters of recommendation had been completed and sent just a week prior. She would be starting the semester in DelaCour lycee two months later. Those two months, Marinette knew, would be longer than she could handle, but she decided that it would be better for her grades. DelaCour lycee was way ahead of Francis Dupont in every sense, and transferring mid-semester would require many sleepless nights and endless cups of coffee.

One might be curious about why such a talented, beautiful, kind and caring individual such as Marinette was transferring schools when she was perfectly happy at Francis Dupont lycee. And no, she was not moving out of the bakery.

The thing is, Marinette used the look forward to attend this school. She used to be happy just being there. But now, all she could feel was deep dread every time she walked up the school steps. Marinette was no longer perfectly happy by attending Francis Dupont lycee. And she hadn't been happy to attend it for a long time. All because of Lila.

Now, she wouldn't say she was perfectly happy before either. When Chloe bullied her when she was younger, the teachers would turn a blind eye on her because of her father and how much power he had. But Marinette never took it into consideration. After all, as long as she was somewhat okay most of the time, there would be no reason to change schools.

But Marinette was no longer somewhat okay. She was miserable every second she spent at school.

Lila coming back was just the beginning. Lila threatening Marinette was just the beginning.

When Lila was 'pushed' by Marinette down the stairs, thankfully everyone had faith in Marinette at the time. But as it happened, again and again, their faith started to waver. Marinette 'stealing' her peers' things didn't help either. As time passed, Lila got better at handling the proof and evidence. Every time Marinette tried to call out Lila's lies, more people started labeling her as the lier.

Liar.  
Bully.  
Theif.  
Manipulator.  
Slut.

The last one had come about from Lila spreading rumors that she slept with older guys. 

Everyone believed Lila's rumors as well because Marinette had stopped 'denying' it, choosing to ignore it instead. Everyone including Adrien. But Marinette didn't blame Adrien. After all, he didn't know that this was all Lila's doing.

What Marinette did blame Adrien for, however, was not being there for her as her friend. He chose Lila's feelings over hers. To be fair, he didn't know the extent Lila went to silence Marinette. But a friend would always stick up for another friend if something wasn't right in the situation. That was not what he did.

She had long since given up on everyone else in the class. Including Alya and Nino. They ignored her anyway. So she wasn't losing anything.

She was not losing friendships she had put time and effort into.  
She was not losing the love that she had wasted countless thoughts on.

Because in reality, those friendships and romances never existed. If they wanted to ignore it, ignore her, then she would ignore them too.

The more she avoided her emotions, the fewer akumas came to her.  
The more she avoided her emotion, the less confidence she had.  
The more she avoided her emotions, the less she wanted Paris to be saved from Hawkmoth.

She no longer really cared about Paris.

Sometimes Marinette would stay up at night and think of how this thought made her such a bad person. She felt as if she was also a bad friend because she didn't try more to somehow stop Lila.

Marinette would cry herself to sleep every night. Deep sorrow overwhelmed her. So deep that she felt emotionless.

So deep, that the only emotion she felt was neglect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI: At the part where Marinette's new nickname is mentioned, one of them was a slut. Since I feel like this is out of character for everyone to start calling Marinette that and for Adrien to actually believe it, I'll add a chapter in the future that gives context to what happened.
> 
> 2/16/2020- Grammar mistakes fixed! Point anything out to me if it's incorrect or nonsensical.
> 
> THANKS for READING. Y'ALL are GREAT and AMAZING. HOPE YA have a GOOD DAY.


	2. f i g h t s

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day after the news of her acceptance to DelaCour, Marinette faces Lila and the trio of traitors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this took so long! Highschool keeps me busy. I'll try to update a chapter once a month. It's a bit to slow for some of y'all but I hope the wait is worth it.
> 
> s o r r y a g a i n

The sun barely had risen over the horizon when Marinette's alarm was set up.

She cracks one eye open then quickly shut it. She lazily reached her arm out to press the snooze button, only for her mother to walk in.

“Marinette, wake up. You have to get to school on time.”

Marinette groans in response.

“You have to keep up good attendance for DelaCour lycee...” Her mother sighs as she takes her leave.

Marinette groggily started getting for school soon after. It was harder to go to school almost every day since everyone hated her. After getting ready, she went downstairs and ate breakfast. Before leaving the customer filled bakery, Marinette gave her parents a kiss on the cheek and then started to walk towards hell.

As she walked towards Francis Dupont Lycee, she softly hummed the latest Jagged Stone song. Since she didn’t hang out with Alya or any of her other friends any longer, she had more time to commission her projects. Which led Jagged Stone to start investing in Marinette more.

He paid quite a hefty sum to the young designer, but Marinette didn’t know what to do with the money. She had been planning to pay for her education at DelaCour Lycee with the money, but she had received a full-fledged scholarship and now had extra savings.

While Marinette did want to be recognized for the numerous items she had made Jagged (almost a 104, not that she was counting), her parents wanted Marinette to be safe.

Having her name featured in an article once or twice was fine with them, but ever since people had mistaken Marinette as Adrien Agreste’s girlfriend, her parents began to become more concerned about her safety.

The song Marinette was humming on, was written to her. While Jagged did not say who it was publicly, he sang it as a thank you gift for Marinette. 

As she walked through the doors of the school humming quietly to herself, she happened to pass Lila.

”Oh, Marinette. Good Morning!” she called, loud enough for everyone within the area to hear.

Marinette turned around at the sound of Lila’s voice. “Good Morning.” she said. Marinette then nodded and began to walk away. Lila quickly intercepted and put one hand on her shoulder.

”I see you’re humming the new song Jagged wrote to me! It was a love song specially written for me, but I couldn’t accept due to our age differences.” Lila exclaimed. Marinette froze.

Adrien quickly walked up after seeing the angry expression on Marinette’s face. 

  
“You...” Marinette started.

”She what?” Alya called as she and Nino walked up to the trio.

Marinette flinched at Alya’s cold glare and Nino’s disgust. Before her confidence disappeared, she stepped away from Lila’s touch. All she had wanted to do was to slap her hand away, but Marinette had morals.

”You’re ruining his reputation by lying like that.” She simply stated.

Lila gasped. She quickly ran over to Adrien and put her face on his chest, as if she was crying. “There you go calling me a liar again!” She faked cried into Adrien’s chest.

”Marinette, I don’t get you at all. Lila was just trying to be nice. She wasn’t lying. And how was she ruining Jagged Stone’s reputation?” Alya roared, angered by Lila’s ‘tears’.

”By saying that Jagged Stone wrote a love song for her! She implied that he was interested in her, who happens to be 15! Marinette exclaimed, upset about the entire situation. 

“Or maybe you’re just blaming Lila to be a liar when you’re one yourself.” Nino added quietly, in a steely tone.

Marinette took a step back. Nino hadn’t said anything to her in weeks, and when he finally decided to say something, this is what he decided to say!?   
  


As Marinette’s mind tried to formulate a quick response to Nino, she caught Adrien’s angry eyes.   
  


As they held contact, her eyes started tearing up. Why was he angry? What was she doing wrong? Was the real bad guy Lila or her?   
  


Too scared to answer that question, Marinette quickly pushed past Alya, Nino, Lila, and Adrien.   
  


As she ran to the bathroom all Marinette could picture was Adrien’s disappointed frown and the smirk Lila had thrown her as she ran.

* * *

When Marinette burst into the bathroom, she quickly walked over to the sinks to throw water on her face.   
  


When she looked into the mirror, she saw black tear streaks of Mascara running down her face.   
  


She quickly turned the tap on and washed her face. When she was done, she looked into the mirror again. Her face was incredibly pale and her eyes were a bit red.   
  


Marinette sighed. She wasn’t too keen on the idea of everyone, especially Lila, knowing that she cried in the bathroom.

They would also think of her as weak if they didn’t think so already.

The sound of the bathroom door opening caused Marinette to look up. As her tired and swollen eyes took the figure standing in the doorway, the person sighed.   
  


“You look terrible.” The voice of Chloe Bourgois reached Marinette's ears.

Marinette looked down at the water that was being drained in the sink. “Thanks for the compliment.”

Chloe laughed as she walked to the sink next to Marinette’s. She took her purse out and began to apply a thick coat of mascara on her lashes. After she was done, without looking away from the mirror, she held the mascara out.

”Want some?” She asked, unsure.

Marinette quickly looked up, surprised. A soft smile made way onto her face.   
  


“Thanks.”

Maybe this day wouldn’t be so bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2/16/2020- Chapter written and corrected.
> 
> Please tell me if there are any mistakes.
> 
> THANKS for READING. have a GREAT DAY.


	3. f r i e n d s h i p s

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette gets a friend. The class is shocked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read the note at the end. It has some important insights and spoilers (very vague) if you're interested.

After fixing both of their makeup, the girls decided to walk to class together. They reached the classroom just before Ms. Bustier walked in.

As Marinette made her way to the back, she was slightly surprised by seeing Chloe follow her. Chloe smiled as she took the seat next to her.

A short moment of shock took ahold of the classroom as the class witnessed the spectacle. After the shock passed, the students began to whisper among themselves.

Lila rolled her eyes and then frowned. “Alya, I think Marinette and Chloe are plotting something. Why else would they be sitting next to each other all of a sudden?”

Alya, who also had a frown on her face, scrutinized at both of the girls sitting in the back. “I don’t know, girl. Whatever they plan to do, I promise to keep you safe.”

”Thanks bestie!” Lila whispered, wearing the mask of gratitude and awe on her face.

Meanwhile, Adrien and Nino observed Chloe and Marinette. Adrien had a deep frown on his face. Both boys watched as both Chloe and Marinette laughed at something one of the girls had said.

”What do you think is gonna happen, dude?” Nino asked.

Adrien’s frown deepened. “I don’t know, man. Whatever it is, Marinette needs to clean her act up. Using Chloe isn’t going to make the class forgive her.”

Nino looked at Adrien confused for a second before nodding despondently. “Right.”

Adrien turned her head away from the pair of girls before whispering to Nino. “If Marinette wants to show us that she can fake a friendship with Chloe just to make us feel bad, that makes me want to be Marinette’s friend even less.”

Nino’s eyebrows furrowed, but he didn’t reply.

Ms. Bustier clapped her hands, grabbing the attention of the whispering students. Although she had a weird expression on her face, she smiled brightly as she started class. “Good Morning, everyone! Today we are going to start class with a compliment pair.” She said as she shook the hat in her hand.

”Yes, Ms. Bustier.” The class responded.

She shook the hat three more times before grabbing two slips of paper. Her face fell as she read the names on the paper. Her eyes quickly flickered to Max and Ivan before moving to Marinette and Lila.

Realizing that the class was waiting, she propped a smile back on her face. “Our two compliment pairs today, are Marinette and Lila.” Ms. Bustier cheered as she tucked the slips into her back pocket.

Marinette stiffened as her name got called along with Lila’s. She sighed, cursing her luck.

Both girls got up and made their way to the front. Alya stiffened as Marinette walked past the aisle.

When both girls were at the front and faced towards each other, Ms. Bustier clapped her hand excitedly and said, “Lila you can start today’s compliment!”

Lila smiled and nodded at her before turning to Marinette again. Her eyes roamed up and down Marinette’s figure as if she couldn’t find anything good about Marinette.   
  


Lila’s smile widened. “Marinette, your clothes look wonderful on you today. They look well-fitted compared to when I first met you!” Marinette’s fist clenched at the implication that she was fatter, but Lila wasn’t done. “Your skin also looks really great. It looks like you’re glowing! Are you getting more sleep or is it something else?”

Marinette’s eyes widened. Lila was insinuating that Marinette was having sex. The class saw her reaction and began whisper amongst themselves once more, the word slut passing through a few mouths.

Juleka frowned angrily and Chloe’s knuckles became pale.

Marinette took a deep breath, then smiled back. “Thanks. I’ve been getting way more sleep because I’ve been eating healthier. I also wore another t-shirt under this one because it is getting colder.” Ms. Bustier smiled happily.

”Marinette, you can now compliment Lila.” She said.

Marinette turned sharply at Ms. Bustier. “No thanks. If she is going to suggest that I’m having sex and getting fatter, then I’m just going to say that her lies are getting better.”

With that, Marinette walked back to her seat. The whole class became outraged. Everyone other than Chloe, Juleka, Adrien, Nino, Lila, and Ms. Bustier began throwing insults at the poor girl. Lila was ‘sobbing’ on an angry Alya's shoulder. Nino’s gaze on Marinette was strangely sympathetic, but he didn’t comment anything. Adrien was sighing and rubbing his head, a headache began to take an ugly form. Juleka stayed in her seat with her hands bound tightly together while Chloe received Marinette with a hug and a pat on the back. Meanwhile, Ms. Bustier was staring at Marinette with her mouth open, flabbergasted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said before, there will be a chapter that will give context to the nickname slut. It involves Juleka (and Luka), so if any of you were confused about why I added her in the story, now you know. 
> 
> Also, Nino. If you think he's being weird, he is. I think I want to redeem him. Idk, but if he does get redemption, it's not gonna be ant time soon ;)!
> 
> Changed the tags from no archive warnings to major character death and rape/ non-con.
> 
> Hope this doesn't botter y'all. I came up with a good plot point for this fic. THIS FIC WILL HAVE A HAPPY ENDING THO! I Promise!
> 
> I'm having a lot of fun writing the friendship between Chloe and Marinette. I can't wait till Kagami, Marc, and the other characters come in. I'm planning to write individual chapters on all their friendships. 
> 
> Although I feel like writing the Felix/Marinette romance is gonna be hard because there is going to be a REALLY DEEP PLOT IN THIS FIC. Another reason is because I'm going to have to find a way to incorporate all the jealous characters. 
> 
> Heres a little spoiler: Lila's gonna find love. But she's not going to receive it. :D
> 
> Thxxxx for reading. HOPE Y'ALL have a GREAT DAY!


	4. t a l k s

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Ms. Bustier have a little talk. Chloe properly meets Marinette's parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter isn't that confusing for y'all!

The shrill sound of the bell rang in the students' ears. After that episode in class, Ms. Bustier opted to give the students study hall time.

As the students gathered their things and left, she finally decided to speak. "Marinette, can I talk to you for a second." Her voice had a bit of a bitter and harsh tone to it. Marinette slightly flinched.

"Maybe I shouldn't have done that after all." she whispered to Chloe.

Chloe's eyes softened at Marinette. She put on a smile. "Don't worry, I'll wait for you out in the hall." Marinette smiled and nodded, graciously. Both girls walked to the front together, but after a few seconds, only Marinette and Ms. Bustier stood in the classroom.

"You said you wanted to talk to me Ms. Bustier?" Marinette questioned.

Ms. Bustier nodded. "Yes, it's about your behavior today." She paused. "And also about your friends." Marinette stilled. "I asked you to be the class's example! Being the class's example does not mean you can do whatever you want! Have you thought about everyone's' feelings?! When you move out of this school, how am I supposed to control this class? You're being incredibly selfish Marinette! Insulting Lila and enraging the class isn't what a class example does!" Ms. Bustier scolded, her voice getting higher with each sentence until the point where she was yelling. After that, she stood there panting.

Marinette stood still. "I didn't ask to be the class example." she stated simply. "Huh?" Ms. Bustier looked up. "When have I majorly disrupted class other than today?" Marinette paused, looking Ms. Bustier in the eye. "Why do I have to care about everyone's feelings when they don't care about my own?" Another pause. "When I leave, you asked me how you're supposed to control this class. By being a teacher, a good example. You say I'm the one being selfish when you're the one who's trying to put the burden on me just because you aren't good at your job! Sure, me leaving this school is selfish, but I'm leaving this school so that there won't be any more negativity here!" Marinette pause one last time. "Besides, who would want to stay with traitors as classmates and with liars as teachers?" She gave Ms. Bustier a cold stare as she made her way to leave.

"Liar? How dare you! I'm no liar!" Ms. Bustier exclaimed, grabbing Marinette's wrist. "I'll find a way to stop you from leaving. Then you'll see who the real liar is when you see what a great teacher I am!"

Marinette froze at the pressure on her wrist. Then smiled. "There are cameras in here, did you forget?" Ms. Bustier's eyes widened. Marinette turned around. "I can't do anything if you stop me, but if you do, I will demand Mr. Damocles to see the footage in the classroom today. What you did here was verbally and physically attack me. I'm sure you won't have your job hereafter that is shown." Marinette smiled, and a cold feeling of dread made its way to Ms. Bustier's spine. She let go of Marinette's wrist.

"Also, Ms. Bustier, you dropped something." Marinette bent down to pick something up. She placed the objects in Ms. Bustier's hand and whispered in her ear "Now who's the real liar?" and then made her leave.

Ms. Bustier stood alone in the classroom in shock. She looked down into her hand, only to see the two slips of paper from the compliment task in the morning. They had Ivan and Max's names on them.

* * *

Marinette let out a deep breath as she walked out of the class. She turned and was surprised the see Chloe leaning next to the door.

"Did you hear?" Marinette asked.

Chloe nodded. "I would've come in and helped you, but right from the start, I knew you had it handled."

Marinette smiled. "Hey, want to come to the bakery for some lunch?"

Chloe's face stilled. Then it broke out into the happiest looking grin ever. "I've always wanted to be invited by you." she murmured to herself. Then she nodded to Marinette. "Sure, that sounds great."

As Chloe started walking, Marinette stood at the same spot for a few seconds. Chloe turned and paused, "Come on."

Marinette shook herself out of her daze and nodded. She caught up to Chloe and both girls started making their way to the bakery. Marinette glanced at Chloe, then softly smiled. One of the perks of being a superhero was that you had super hearing.

* * *

When Chloe first stepped into the bakery, Marinette's parents were like angry hens. But after Marinette explained the situation, her parents skeptically nodded in understanding. They were still skeptical of the girl however, after all, she had bullied their daughter for years. However, they did treat Chloe civilly with a bit of cold kindness by allowing her to eat the bakery's goods.

"I think your parents don't like me." Chloe whispered to Marinette. Both of the said parents wouldn't let the girls in any room alone together.

"Nah. I think they are just being a bit cautious because of your... a-hem, not so good past." Marinette said, as kindly as possible.

Chloe flinched. "About that..."

Before she could finish, loud rumbles began to shake the floor. The rumbles were shakier and louder than ones that would occur in normal earthquakes.

"Akuma." Both girls realized at the same time.

Before anyone could stop her, Marinette ran out of the bakery to transform.

"Marinette!" Her parents and Chloe cried, but couldn't move due to the shakiness of the ground. Strangely, much in typical Akuma fashion, none of the buildings were breaking or falling down.

Marinette hid behind the edge of a building. "Tikki are you ready?" Marinette asked.

"Yup, let's go save Paris!" Tikki replied.

Marinette smiled. "Tikki, spots on!"

The familiar fuzzy feeling washed over Marinette as she felt herself transform.

After her transformation, Ladybug called Cat Noir, whose signal had shown up at the place where the Akuma was.

Cat Noir picked up just as she had started swinging from building to building.

"Hello, M'lady!" Cat Noir said.

"Hey there, kitty! I'm on my way. Mind filling me in?" She replied.

"Sure. Anything for you Bugaboo." Ladybug frowned at the nickname.

Apparently, Aurore Beauréal had gotten akumatized into Stormy Weather once more.

As she arrived at the scene, Ladybug could see that Stormy Weather was as pretty powerful as her second akumatization.

When Stormy Weather saw her, she smiled. She started blasting snowstorms at Ladybug.

"Uh Oh. Looks like shes spotted you, M'lady." Cat Noir laughed at his own pun. He had just landed right next to the spotted heroine.

"Not the time Cat." Ladybug said. Both started dodging the freezing snowstorms. As they ran around Paris dodging, they didn't realize that a huge snowstorm had overtaken the city.

When Ladybug finally realized, she called to Cat Noir. "Kitty, we have to end this! She's freezing the entire city!" Cat Noir nodded. They both stopped running and attacked Stormy Weather at the same time.

While Chat Noir fought Stormy Weather sword on sword, or umbrella on staff, Ladybug came up behind her and grabbed her umbrella.

Realizing this, Stormy Weather was livid. "Not this time!" She yelled as she sent a huge blast of the storm in both heroes' directions.

"M'lady" Cat Noir called as he and Ladybug tried reaching for each other.

Stormy Weather seeing this, sent a larger blast that made both heroes' ears ring and fingers go numb.

"Cat Noir!" Ladybug called as she blacked out.

* * *

When she came to, all she could feel was pain. The pain was so excruciating that it made her numb. Was she getting frostbitten? Was Cat Noir okay? How long had she been here?

The thick layer of snow that covered her seemed to answer her.

Hours.

Her head pounded painfully, but she also felt light-headed at the same time.

She was going to die.

Time began to slow as Ladybug reflected on her life.

She had stopped feeling pain an hour ago, only to become numb. Her eyes were closed, and frozen tears were on her cheeks.

She didn’t want to die. She realized how selfish she had been this entire time.

Ladybug had stopped wanting to save Paris because a liar was making Marinette miserable.

Ladybug was fine, but Marinette was not. They were not the same. Ladybug was everything Marinette was not. And she had lost sight of what was important to her.

How would Cat Noir react when he found out she had died? She hoped he would be capable enough to protect Paris on his own.

What about Marinette’s parents?

And Chloe?  
Nino?  
Alya?

Adrien?

She felt her heartbeat for one painful second. She couldn’t deny it, she still had lingering feelings for the boy. Even if he had ignored Marinette for the past few months, she still had hope in her heart that things would return back to normal.

She wanted to see her friends smile at her again.

Marinette wanted Adrien to smile at her again.

Ladybug realized how hopeless she was. She and Marinette were different, not the same.

The people of Paris’ reaction told both girls so.

Ladybug outshined Marinette in every way; she wasn’t neglected by her classmates and the boy she loved.

She wasn’t taken down by a liar.

Marinette was.

What Ladybug did realize in her final moments was that she and Marinette wished for the same thing.

Adrien...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marinette's parents will eventually warm up to Chloe. There will be a chapter regarding that. I just feel that it would be a bit unrealistic for them to like her all of a sudden just because Marinette tells them she has changed.
> 
> I'm excited to write the next chapter. Felix will finally be introduced!
> 
> HOPE Y'ALL have a GREAT DAY! THANKS for READING!


	5. s a v i o r

Marinette woke up with a gasp. It was too hot.

Where was she? One moment she was out in the blizzard and in the next, she was in an extremely elegant room. She looked around.

The room was extremely well-furnished and was even bigger than Adrien's bedroom. Marinette threw off the heavy blankets that were wrapped around her and stumbled. She started making her way to the door but fell. Her legs were shaking badly.

Just then the door opened. Marinette's vision blurred as she looked up.

"Adrien?" She whispered, her voice trembling.

So-called-Adrien shook his head. He picked her up bridal style and set her down of the bed once more. 

“How are you feeling, Miss Ladybug?”

That voice definitely didn't belong to Adrien. It was much more soothing and elegant. Marinette closed her eyes for a bit and then opened them. "I'm burning up," she replied. At this, the man put his cool hand on her forehead. Marinette soaked in the soothing feeling that came with it. 

She slowly opened her eyes. Thankfully, her vision had cleared. Looking closer at her savior, he had to diamond blue eyes instead of emerald green. His eyes also included little specs of grey and gold. This was definitely not Adrien.

The man must have seen the confusion on her face. He sighed as he took his hand off her forehead and started combing his pale blond hair with his fingers. "I suppose you don't remember me since I look like this. I'm Adrien's cousin, Felix."

Marinette's eyes widened in recognition. "But... didn't you have... green eyes?" she questioned.

Felix shook his head. "I wear green contacts in public. My real eye color is the one you're seeing right now."

Marinette nodded. She decided not to ask any further. "Why did you save me? The last we met, you were working with Hawkmoth, if I'm correct." Felix nodded.

"Yes, those weren't the greatest circumstances, but I had my own reasons. I hope you don't think I have ulterior motives Miss Ladybug. I no longer associate myself with the villain of Paris."

"Even so, you now know my identity, or at least how I look like," she said accusingly.

Felix gave a long stare and she couldn't help but notice that he had inherited good looks from the Agreste bloodline. "Believe what you want Miss, but I have people I care about in this city. Think of me saving your life as my duty as a Parisian." Felix said, a bit angrily, but with a tone of understanding.

Marinette sighed, already tired with this conversation. "For now, Mr. Agreste." Felix flinched at the name.

"Don't refer me as Mr. Agreste." Felix whispered. "Anyway, you are free to stay here until you recover. The city is still frozen and the news shows that Stormy Weather is still looking for both you and Cat Noir."

Marinette let out a sigh of relief. "I see. Thanks. For doing your duty as a... Parisian."

Felix smirked then nodded. Marinette couldn't help but blush at the sight. Why did handsome faces always get her? 

Felix started making his way to the door but stopped as he was about to step out. Marinette raised her eyebrows as she waited for him to leave. "Um... your bug thing is in the kitchen. She said she'd come up when she was recharged?" He said unsure if he sounded like an idiot. Marinette nodded. 

"Also, when you leave, leave from the window. No one in this place knows your here except for me." And with that Felix left the room, leaving Marinette to ponder over her thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo... yall its bin a while.
> 
> Its finally summer and let me tell you tat high school was crayz. 
> 
> short chapter for you guys but ill try to get regular uploads again... no promises
> 
> Love yall <3 have a nice day!


	6. s c e n t

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally time to save Paris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so I know this chapter was supposed to come out yesterday but for some reason, it wouldn't upload... I'm so sorry. 
> 
> this chapter is pretty long tho (in my standards) sooooo ENJOY!

An hour passed uneventfully, and each second that Marinette wasted felt like an eternity. Too many things were crossing her mind, the biggest two being that Paris was frozen and that someone knew her identity.

Out of all the people who could have found her identity out, why did it have to be one of the people who willingly cooperated with Hawkmoth? It was just her luck.

Marinette shook her head. Right now wasn't the time to think about this. She had a city to save. But how was she going to deal with this later? Questions plagued her mind as she slumped back into the back.

She nudged her head into the voluminous pillow and inhaled a large breath of air. A nice masculine scent took over her senses. She took another deep breath. The scent left an incredibly comforting feeling. It took a while for Marinette to realize whose bed this was.

She jumped out of the bed immediately and put her hands on her flaming cheeks.

Oh god! What was she doing...? She couldn't believe what she just did.

It took a while for Marinette's body temperature to settle down again. By the time it did, Tikki had eventually come back.

"Marinette, I'm so sorry! I was exhausted and fell asleep." Tikki exclaimed as soon as she saw Marinette.

Marinette looked at her little friend, relieved that she seemed alright. "Tikki... it's okay, I'm glad you're fine. I'm all rested up. We should head back now." 

Tikki nodded. Marinette immediately transformed and headed to the window. As she opened one of the panes, a freezing gust of wind entered the warm room sending her into shivers. She couldn't go outside like this. Marinette looked around the room for something that could help her and immediately spotted a black coat.

'He won't mind if I borrow this...right?' 

Marinette reasoned with herself and shrugged. She was going to have to see Felix again and she would be able to return it later on anyway. Saving Paris was her top priority right now anyway.

She grabbed the coat and immediately knew it would get the job done. As she slipped the thick coat on, her sense of smell was immediately ambushed by the comforting masculine scent. 

Marinette's cheeks went aflame instantly. She then shook her head. Now was not the time. And with that, the heroine of Paris headed back to save her city, making sure she closed the window behind her.

* * *

As Ladybug soared from building to building, she found no sign of life. It scared her so terribly. There was no light in any of the windows of the buildings near her. Ladybug looked back. Only the mansion she had come out of was lit with light. Looking around the neighborhood, she realized she was in the incredibly wealthy area of Paris. Ladybug had been all over Paris but she didn't recognize this area. Just where was she...?

Ladybug pulled her yoyo back from the ledge of the next building she was going to swing on to and turned on her GPS. She gasped. Just how far had Stormy Weather blasted her? 

Ladybug was on the other side of Paris, where all the extremely wealthy lived. The area was called Auteuil-Neuilly-Passy. No wonder she hadn't been here before. All access to this area was extremely restricted.

Ladybug turned off her GPS and stared swinging from building to building. According to her device, she would be coming across a large gate that surrounded the entire area.

She kept swinging and looked around. There!

Ladybug landed in front of the gate on the outer area of the neighborhood. She looked around her surroundings once more and was astonished.

Right in front of her was DelaCour lycee, the school she would be attending months later. She blinked as if she couldn't believe her eyes. Even though it appeared empty and lifeless, it was still a huge and immensely beautiful building.

She wondered how it looked during a normal day. It was grander than her current school.

Did Felix attend here? It would make sense if he did since he lived in this area. She shivered at the thought.

Now was not the time to waste precious minutes. Marinette would be able to come back later after the Akuma was defeated. Ladybug checked her GPS once more and started moving. As she made her way closer to the Eiffel Tower, she could see Cat Noir's symbol getting closer to hers. He must have been looking for her.

A few minuted later, both met each other.

Cat Noir immediately imbraced Ladybug. "You're alright! I thought you were gone!" he said tearfully.

Even though she wanted to cringe at his embrace, she consoling patted his back. "I'm sorry kitty. I was knocked unconscious but I'm all right now."

Cat Noir realized what he did, embarrassingly but regretfully backed away from her. Ladybug immediately started speaking in a business-like tone. "Do you know where Stormy Weather is?" Since both were alright, she didn't need to ask how he was okay.

"...Yeah. I've been watching her from the home of a civilian named Nino Lahiffe. She's been waiting at the Louvre for quite a while. From what I know, she keeps expanding the area that's been frozen."

Ladybug nodded. So that was why a wealthy and restricted area like Auteuil-Neuilly-Passy was frozen. "Cat Noir, when we arrive near that area, I want you to confront her while I prepare my Lucky Charm. We'll then start fighting her together, and come up with something along the way. Just stay a good distance away from her so that she cant blow you away again. Got it?"

Cat Noir nodded in understanding. A complex expression took over his face as he examined Ladybug and noticed the coat. He opened his mouth the say something but Ladybug didn't give him the chance.

"Let's go. I'll go this way. I'll see you at the Louvre in seven." She called out as she swung away.

Cat Noir shook himself out of his trance as he followed her directions.

* * *

Seven minutes later, the superhero duo put the plan to action. Cat Noir immediately began confronting and taunting Stormy Weather while Ladybug began to formulate a plan with her Lucky Charm.

The Lucky Charm, which was a Chinese finger trap didn't seem to fit into the plan yet. Ladybug sighed, frustrated with her complicated power.

When she looked up, she realized the Cat Noir was chasing Stormy Weather to the Eiffel Tower. Ladybug also began her pursuit. 

By the time both superheroes made it to the tower, Stormy Weather was ready to blast cold air once again. "Hand over you miraculous, before you freeze from my wrath!" she exclaimed.

The duo, who had surrounded the akuma slowly closed in with their weapons out. Ladybug looked around. Instantly, her Lucky Charm vision flashed ladybug colored objects. One of those objects was a loose metal bar near Cat Noir. With a plan in mind, Ladybug put the finger traps on one of her fingers.

"Cat Noir, pick up that metal bar next to you and throw it at her!"

Cat Noir immediately followed Ladybug's directions. Stormy Weather, not knowing what to do, blasted air towards the bar. Ladybug, predicting this, immediately dodged the blast and pounced at the akuma. She took the akuma's free hand and placed one of her fingers into the trap. Ladybug then pulled with all her might. 

As Stormy Weather stumbled towards Ladybug, Car Noir grabbed her umbrella.

"Cataclysm!" 

Immediately, the umbrella crumbled to dust. Ladybug, with knowledge of figuring out the Chinese finger trap, released her other hand. She then captured the akuma.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" she exclaimed. Almost instantly, Paris turned into its original form. 

"Pound it!" both heroes exclaimed victoriously. 

After making sure the Aurora was alright and would be able to go down by herself from the elevator system, Ladybug, who had exactly three minutes before she transformed back, walked towards the edge of the Eiffel Tower. Looking down, she gave a sigh of relief as she saw that Paris was back to its original state.

"M'lady!" Cat Noir exclaimed behind her.

Ladybug turned around. She supposed she had a minute to spare. "Yeah, Kitty?"

"Are you sure you're alright? You were gone for a really long time." Cat Noir asked. He had the same expression he had before she left for the Loruve.

"Yes, I'm sure. I got help from a... um.... acquaintance." Ladybug reply, unsure. She then realized that she was still wearing Felix's coat that was still giving off the comforting scent. Her face, for the (probably) hundredth time, blushed again.

Cat Noir, seeing the expression on Ladybug's face, felt a wave of jealousy. Just who was this acquaintance of hers? Judging from the scent she was giving off, it was definitely a male. The way she reacted was not normal for someone who she was just acquainted to.

"Uh... who is this acquaintance of yours? We should probably thank him." Cat Noir said, thinking of ways to get information about this guy from Ladybug.

Ladybug detecting what Cat Noir was doing blushed a deeper red. He couldn't be thinking something weird, could he? She shook her head. "I should keep that a secret. I'll go thank him later, I have to return his coat anyway." she said, realizing once again that Felix knew her identity.

"What!? No, I mean, ugh... You should let someone else give the coat back to him! People shouldn't see Ladybug visiting civilians unless it's necessary!" Cat Noir exclaimed, upset that his question brought exactly the opposite of what he wanted from Ladybug.

"I see... then I'll give it to a friend of mine to return to coat with my thanks." Ladybug replied with no intention to do so. She had no idea why Cat Noir was acting like this but hopefully, it would stop.

Cat Noir gave a sigh of relief. "Okay, you should do that."

Ladybug nodded. Her earring began to beep on its fourth minute.

"See ya, M'lady!" Cat Noir called as he began to leave the scene.

Ladybug smiled and swung to yoyo. "See ya! Bug out!" she called as she swung away.

Paris was saved by the hands of the superhero duo once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I got some things to say.
> 
> First of all, ya guys will get a later chapter on the context of how Felix found our bug.
> 
> Second, you guys will also figure out while Felix wears eye contacts. Ik its kinda weird, but I thought of a good plot point for the story that's also good for his character development!
> 
> Third. Auteuil-Neuilly-Passy is a real place in Paris. It's for the super-wealthy, but I made some stuff up. I have no idea if a big gate surrounds the area (probably) or if there is even a school in front of it. And Auteuil-Neuilly-Passy mainly consists of villas, not mansions soooo ya.
> 
> I'm also thinking.... do my grammatically incorrect authors notes annoy ya guys? I can change that if yall want.
> 
> Anyway, if there are any errors in grammar or anything else, plz comment. I love reading ur comments even if they are critical!
> 
> have a good day lovebugs!


	7. r e t u r n

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette returns from her battle, only to find worried parents and also a worried Chloe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well.... I've gotten my motivation back for writing this story. Hopefully, I don't lose it again. Quarantine has really negatively affected my life and a lot of future plans of mine... so yeah.

It was dawn by the time she returned to the bakery.

Marinette transformed back in an alleyway near the bakery. She made sure to take off the jacket and tuck it securely under her arm. If her parents asked she would just tell her an acquaintance let her use the jacket and that she would return it on a later date.

As she walked into her home, she realized that it was strangely devoid of its scent of fresh bread.

"Marinette!" Her mother cried as she ran towards her.

Her father came running down immediately after hearing his wife cry out. And to Marinette's surprise, Chloe also came down. Marinette figured Chloe would have left after the akuma had been taken care of.

The family hugged. Afterward, Chloe took Marinette's hands in hers. 

"Why would you rush out like that?" Chloe asked with teary eyes. If something had happened to Marinette at the beginning of their new relationship, Chloe would never be able to forgive herself.

Marinette seeing this felt bad. Even though she was saving Paris, she hated lying to people.

"I... I had to make sure that someone I knew would be okay." she replied.

"Oh, Marinette..." her parents said regretfully. Marinette felt an oncoming scolding coming her way. She cringed.

Chloe looked at Marinette, then to her parents. She smiled. "The important thing is that Marinette is okay. And that she understands that running off like this is incredibly dangerous and reckless, especially if it's for the sake of someone else." Chloe felt a tiny twinge of jealousy that there was someone Marinette was willing to go to great lengths to protect. She hoped that she would become someone like that for Marinette one day too.

Marinette's parents glanced at each other and smiled. They nodded and left; the bakery needed to start running again. The bakery would be busy very soon since people would be coming home from work soon.

Marinette tilted her head. It seemed like something had happened between her parents and Chloe. She looked to Chloe, but all she gave as an indication that something had happened was a gentle smile.

Marinette immediately blushed. That smile really suited Chloe.

"Marinette lets go up to your room and talk for a bit. I have to go home soon so I can't stay long." Chloe said.

Marinette nodded. She let Chloe lead her into her room. When both girls were in the room, Chloe let go of Marinette's hands. 

She sighed and looked away. "Marinette, I'm really glad you're fine." 

Now it was Marinette's turn to smile. "Me too Chloe. If I wasn't fine, it would be a bad way to start our new friendship." 

Chloe nodded. An awkward silence followed. As Marinette looked for something to say, Chloe spoke up. "So... why do you have Felix's coat?"

Marinette jolted in surprise. Chloe knew Felix?

Chloe giggled at the expression of Marinette's face. "Yes, I know Felix. We grew up together. He's the reason why I know Adrien." She giggled again.

Marinette couldn't help but wonder more, though she decided not to ask more since Chloe would perceive it as avoiding the question. "I see. Um... well, while I was heading to my friend's place, and got caught up in the storm. Felix happened to help when I got stuck in the snow. And um... I was still a bit cold when I was leaving so I borrowed his coat." Marinette cringed, hoping that Chloe would believe her. It was half the truth and also half of a lie.

Chloe tilted her head. Marinette got the feeling she didn't believe her story. Marinette waited for Chloe to start asking questions, but instead of asking questions to quell her suspicions, Chloe smiled.

"Wow, that was really nice of him! Felix isn't the type of person to help anyone, even if they're stuck in a blizzard. He must like you." Chloe chuckled.

"Li-like me!?" Marinette laughed, trying to hide the blush on her cheeks. 

Just why was she blushing so goddamn much when it came to Felix Agreste!? It wasn't like she had a crush on him or anything. She had some feelings for Adrien and Luka. She couldn't add another guy to her I-like-you list. 

Marinette shook her head. Chloe must have read the situation wrong.

"Nah. I don't think he likes me. We've only, like, met once before today. And, um, that time we met previously wasn't the best circumstances to meet someone."

Chloe looked thoughtful for a second before she shrugged. "Even if Felix doesn't like you, he isn't the type to surround himself with those whom he doesn't like or has no use for. He's not like Adrien, who lets girls like Lila play around with him."

Marinette frowned at the mention of Lila. "Do you think he needs something from me?"

Chloe shook her head. "No offense Marinette, but I don't think you have anything to offer Felix. He literally has anything he could want in the world. Of course, he has no use for me either, but we see each other often since we're, um, childhood friends." Chloe paused before she said childhood friends, seemingly wanting to tell Marinette something. She shook her head then finished her sentence.

Marinette realized that there seemed to be more to the relationship between Chloe and Felix. "Is there something I shou-". Marinette was cut off with the sound of Chloe's ringtone.

Chloe picked up her phone. "Chloe Bourgeois here."

The person on the other end said something.

Chloe looked at Marinette. "Kay, I'm coming down. Bye."

Marinette sighed. "Guess ya gotta go now huh?" 

Chloe nodded. "Yeah, can't keep my driver waiting." She started walking toward the exit of Marinette's room then paused, turned around, and started walking towards Marinette.

Marinette looked at Chloe questioningly. Chloe came up and hugged Marinette, a bit awkwardly. "Um, see you tomorrow at school."

Marinette was surprised, but she hugged Chloe back. "Yeah, see ya." She said with a smile.

Both girls let go of each other then nodded. Chloe walked out. Marinette sighed. She walked to her trapdoor and opened it. Afterwards, she headed to her balcony to get some time to think. 

Her mind drifted to where the conversation had left off. What was the real relationship between Chloe and Felix?

Were they really just childhood friends or was there more to it? 

The bell that signaled the bakery door was open jingled. Marinette looked down. Chloe came out with a bag of fresh bread. As she headed to her car, Chloe turned her head and spotted Marinette. She smiled then waved.

Marnette also smiled and waved goodbye. Chloe got into the limo and the car drove off.

Marinette's smile dropped. She couldn't help but be suspicious of Chloe since her previous friendships had soured terribly. 

As Marinette watched the sunset, a thought came into her mind.

In the battle with Hawkmoth and Miracle Queen, didn't Chloe betray her, or her superheroine persona? 

And didn't Felix also work with Hawkmoth sometime before or after that?

Both Chloe and Felix had willingly worked with Hawkmoth... this couldn't mean something, could it?

Marinette felt a chill. She stared at the empty space where the sun once was. It had already set.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> M'kay, so first things first: Y'all know that something happened between Chloe and Marinette's parents. I will be sure to add a chapter on that. Maybe I already promised that but whatever.
> 
> Second: I'm really sorry for throwing all this suspicion on Marinette's part, but please remember that her friends left her for a liar. She also has the right to be skeptical of her new friendship with Chloe since she used to bully her. 
> 
> Just bear with me... I want to make Chloe a really deep and interesting character (unlike the brat she is in the actual show) so this is necessary. All that's said, the ending with be happy so no worries darlings! I really love Chloe and want to make this work.
> 
> Have a great day!


	8. p a r k i n g

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette decides to meet Felix and ends up talking to some of his friends...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS WHY IS THIS #1 IN #MIRACULOUSLADYBUG/Wattpad RN OMG
> 
> I literally started screaming and my brothers thought I was crazy...
> 
> Thanks so much, I'm glad you guys enjoy my story. Seriously. 
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I don't know how Twitter works since I don't have social media.

It was Thursday. It. Was. Finally. Thursday. The day before Friday, which was the day before the weekends started. Weekends meant no school. No school meant no Lila.

Marinette kept cheering inside her head. Maybe she could invite Chloe to go on a picnic or something.

As she made her way to school she saw other students walking up the steps. Marinette had started coming to school fairly early ever since her friends began to ignore her. No friends meant not getting invited anywhere which meant she had more time for self-care. 

Marinette looked around. It didn't seem like anyone she knew was here yet. If possible, she wanted to avoid trouble. Ms. Bustier already didn't like her.

As Marinette made her way to the top of her steps, her phone gave a Twitter notification.

She moved aside to let others pass and leaned on the railing. 

A DM?

Marinette opened up the app and checked the message. It was from Felix. How did he find her account when he didn't even know her name? 

She shook her head. Nevermind. Felix was an elite and extremely wealthy citizen. There was nothing he couldn't do. She opened the DM.

_'You are the lady I met the other day, aren't you?'_

Her heart skipped a beat. He wasn't going to blackmail her right?

After reading the message and verifying that the account was indeed Felix's, she decided to reply back. 

_'Yes. Thank you, for contacting me first. I would like to speak to you privately, if possible.'_

Normally, she was very informal with her texts, but Marinette was extremely vary.

A reply came back almost immediately.

_'Why not visit my balcony then?'_

Marinette sighed.

_'My partner told me not to visit you where I can so easily be seen by someone.'_

Marinette paused typing, unsure whether to let Felix know about her talk with Cat Noir. She continued her text.

_'I don't trust you either.'_

It took Felix a few seconds to reply.

_'Fair enough. Then how about I send you a location so that we can meet?'_

Marinette raised her eyebrows.

_'Okay. But let's meet in a spot that is public, but where we can talk privately.'_

_'Is a cafe fine with you?'_

Marinette quickly sent her reply.

_'Yes, that's good.'_

_'Okay, then how about La Belle Vie at around 4:00 p.m.?'_

Marinette's eyebrows furrowed. La Belle Vie, according to her phone's GPS, was near Auteuil-Neuilly-Passy. Auteuil-Neuilly-Passy was almost 30 minutes of a walk on foot. Getting there on time wouldn't be a problem since school ended at around 3:30 p.m., but getting back was a different matter. It would be getting dark by then.

_'That's too far for me to walk to. How about a different location?'_

She sent the text to Felix.

_'I can't stray too far from my area since I have a photoshoot at 6:00 p.m. Can I send someone to pick you up?'_

Marinette contemplated before sending her text. 

_'Okay, please do. I'll send you my location.'_

Felix immediately replied.

_'No need. I believe you go to the same school as my cousin?'_

_'I do.'_

_'Okay then. One of my friends has an errand to run near your area so he will be picking you up as soon as school is over. His name is Claude.'_

Marinette immediately sent her reply.

_'How can I trust your friend?'_

A girl had to be careful. You never know, even if all guys aren't like that.

_'His girlfriend will be with him. And if you don't trust him or find him suspicious, you can just cancel.'_

Marinette agreed, that seemed reasonable.

_'Ok, so it's settled. Send me his account or give me his number.'_

After she sent that text, she waited for Felix's reply but it never came. She decided to head into the school.

Her class was already almost filled with all of her peers. As she sat down at her seat in the back, Felix's reply came back.

He sent her both his friend's number and account.

She went to his account. Her mouth slightly dropped. 

Felix's friend was Claude Alger! He was another famous model and rapper. She was going to attract so much unnecessary attention! Before she could start panicking, another message from Felix popped up. 

_'Claude is asking for you to call him.'_

Marinette looked at the clock. She still had 10 minutes to spare.

_'Okay. I'll call. Thanks.'_

Marinette dialed Claude's number.

Almost immediately, Claude picked up.

"Um... hello?" Marinette greeted hesitantly.

"Hey! Your name is Marinette, right? I'm Claude, the guy whose gonna be picking you up today." Claude's enthusiastic voice immediately made Marinette perk up.

"Yup, that's me. Thank you so much for picking me up today."

"No problem! I-"

"CLAUDE! TURN LEFT!" A voice interrupted. A yelp was heard in the background.

Marinette listened worriedly. Did she call when he was driving?

"LOOK! OH MY GOD, OVER THERE! THERE'S A FREE PARKING SPOT!" 

"Oh no, you don't! I saw it first!" Claude's voice cried out.

Marinette wondered whether or not she should say something. A giggle overcame her.

"BITCH! NO YOU DON'T! WE SAW THAT SPOT FIRST!" The female voice yelled out again.

Marinette couldn't control her laugh. After a few seconds, it seemed like everything had settled down on Claude's end.

"Sorry about that Marinette! I dropped my phone while we were racing towards that parking spot."

Marinette giggled again. "That's fine! Did you at least get it?"

"Hell Ya, we did! Hi, my name's Allegra and you must me Marinette!" The female voice chimed in.

"Hi, Allegra! Can't wait to see you guys, I-"

Marinette looked up. The entire class was staring at her.

"Ummmm... I got to go. See ya guys later."

"Ok. BYEEEEEE!" Both Claude and Allegra said at the same time.

When the call ended, Marinette looked around the class. Everyone was already here and they were staring at her. Ms. Bustier wasn't here yet, so she wasn't being a disruption. Why was everyone looking at her? Alya had a blank look on her face. 

Chloe, tired with the awkward silence greeted Marinette. She had arrived near the beginning of the call and had seemed to recognized Claude and Allegra, but decided not to speak up. 

"Morning! That was Claude and Allegra, wasn't it? Crazy, huh?" 

Marinette laughed. "Totally. They're gonna pick me up so I can meet Felix."

"Really? A date!" Chloe exclaimed excitedly. 

Marinette blushed. Why did Chloe think she liked Felix? Sure she constantly blushed because of her embarrassment, but that didn't mean she had that sort of relationship with him. 

Before she could deny it, Ms. Bustier came in. The class went back to normal and turned to face the teacher, but once in awhile Marinette would catch the others looking at her.

They were definitely going to say something to her after class.

She sighed. For now, all she could look forward to was meeting Claude and Allegra.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note:
> 
> I have so much to say!
> 
> -I'm wondering if anyone recognizes where I got the last name Alger from for Claude. If you do, let's be friends (hint: Claude de Alger Obelia). wink*
> 
> -I researched about the legal driving age in France, and it's 18! Most of our main characters are between the ages of 14-17. Just pretend that 1)It's legal or 2)They're extremely rich and can get away with breaking the law (Hopefully #1).
> 
> -Another thing: I have no idea what time school ends in France!
> 
> -A teen without social media?! Hello, nice to meet you, we do exist. Anyway, basically, my parents are overprotective.
> 
> -I'm still totally shocked about how my story is #1 in #miracuousladybug. There might be a lot of mistakes in this chapter because I was so surprised.
> 
> When I was really obsessed with MLB back then (like I would check the fandom every day and not watch anything else except for this show), I often came here to read some good stuff to get my mind off the fact that they weren't updating for weeks. The fact that my fanfic is on the top of #miraculousladybug baffles me so much. I would come to this tag and almost always enjoy the fics that were at the top. I'm so happy you guys like this fic.
> 
> Anyways... I'm sorry I haven't updated this for a few days. 
> 
> Have a great day y'all: I'm posting this at exactly (or around 1:00 a.m. on my brother's birthday.


	9. l u n c h

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette gets invited for lunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm getting really hyped for this story... yay!
> 
> Also, readers even if I don't reply to comments much anymore, I still read every single one. You guys' support for this story is what keeps me going! TYSM

After finally understanding the long and boring lesson of the properties of logarithms, Marinette was ready to have her lunch break.

Luckily, the class ended as soon as her brain started losing brain cells.

"That was literally one of the hardest things I ever came across in math." Chloe whined.

Marinette stretched her stiff limbs then laughed. "If you need help, you can borrow my notes or I can explain during lunch." 

Chloe shook her head quickly. "Naw, let's just enjoy our lunch without math."

Both girls quickly cleaned their desk area. As they left their seats and made their way to the door, most of the class was still chatting away. 

"Marinette! Hey, wait up!" A voice behind them called. Both girls turned to face the speaker. It was Adrien.

Chloe instantly took a defensive step forward. "Yes, Adrien?" Marinette asked.

"Um.. well, would you, um..." Adrien trailed off, seeming unsure about something.

Marinette tilted her head. "Yes?"

"What he means to say is, would you and Chloe like to each lunch with us?" Alya said behind him.

Both Chloe and Marinette raised their eyebrows.

"That's a great idea!" both Lila and Rose exclaimed at the same time. Nino had an anxious expression on his face while the rest of the class agreed with Alya's idea.

"Ummm..."

Marinette turned to Chloe. Chloe shook her head at Marinette. Marinette turned to look at Adrien.

Suddenly, her time in the blizzard flashed before her eyes. Her near-death experience had made her regret not fixing her relationship with her friends. If another time came like that, one where she would not have been as fortunate, she would want her relationships to be fixed.

While the class did talk behind her back and expect a lot from her, she didn't think they were the worst people in the world. Instead of their friendships breaking, she thought of it more like they had fizzled out. They had lost interest in interacting with each other.

So why were they inviting her to have lunch with them, now of all times?

Realizing that they were still waiting for her answer, Marinette panicked.

"Uhhh, sorry. I spaced out for a second." Marinette shook her head. "Sure, I'll eat lunch with everyone, but only if Chloe agrees."

There were some uncertain glances from the class towards Chloe. 

"Please, Chloe?" Sabrina, who was near the back, asked timidly.

Chloe cringed, then sighed. "Okay."

The class brightened. Everyone began to talk over each other, trying to get Marinette's attention. The only people who didn't rush towards Marinette were Juleka and Nino. 

Alya pushed through the crowd and grabbed Marinette's hand. "C'mon, we should get a table before they fill up." 

The class agreed and started walking out of the classroom.

As almost the whole class lead Marinette to the cafeteria, Chloe silently stayed a pace behind everyone, while walking next to Adrien and Nino.

"Just so you know, trust is really hard to rebuild once it's broken. I would know." Chloe said, quiet enough so that only Adrien and Nino could hear her. While both Marinette and Chloe were slowly building trust towards one another, Chloe knew it would take a long time before it was fully at a level of a healthy friendship. Marinette was not naive.

While Nino flinched, Adrien spoke up. "I'm sure Marinette still trusts us. We just kinda realized that we want to have fun with Marinette again like before." Adrien smiled at Chloe. In Adrien's mind, he felt that he was closer to Marinette than Chloe was. Marinette was their everyday ladybug, she would always care about them. 

Chloe clenched her fist. She had a gist of what the model was thinking since she partly grew up with him. 

Adrien was taking Marinette way too lightly. It would definitely come back to bite him.

* * *

While in the midst of her classmates, Marinette couldn't help but look around for Chloe. To be honest, the moment Alya took ahold of her hand, Marinette felt unbearably uncomfortable. 

Unfortunately, Chloe wasn't anywhere in sight since Marinette's classmates were all around her. Marinette's heart was beating uncontrollably fast and she had goosebumps all over her body. Perhaps this was a temporary reaction since she hadn't been coveted like this by her peers in a while.

Although she wanted to grab her hand back from Alya's clutches and get out of the crowd, Marinette knew it would bring a negative reaction. She really wanted everything to turn all fine and dandy between her old friends.

So, instead of doing what her instincts told her, she decided she would hold on until it was over.

Marinette would put a fake smile upon her face and bear it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the super short chapter (around 700 words). I feel like this is another really confusing chapter since I wrote this when my brain was fried. 
> 
> Anyway, IM SO SORRY THAT ITS TAKEN ME A WHILE TO UPDATE!!!
> 
> Me and my family are vacationing at San Fransico right now for a few weeks. We've been traveling to tons of places every other day. I think the weather is really nice here compared to where I live!
> 
> Is it bad that I've become really obsessed with Pinterest? IDK but I'm on there for hours. My parents don't count it as social media, at least. If ya want yall can visit my profile. My username is sammisena (pinterest.com/sammisena/boards).
> 
> looove yall, have an amazing day!


	10. s t r o n g

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette has lunch with her 'friends' as the conversation turns strangely towards her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes! Sorry I haven't been updating!

Why did Marinette ever agree to eat lunch with her old friends? As she chewed on her vegetarian sandwich, Marinette kept berating herself over making her decision.

While everyone around her was laughing and goofing off, Marinette stayed silent, only occasionally adding to the conversation. Chloe was seven people away from her; it was seven people too many.

Suddenly, the conversation questionably turned to her.

"Sooo... Marinette it seems like you've made some new friends, huh?" Kim spoke loudly enough for the entire table to hear.

The conversations around her ended abruptly as if everyone had the same question in mind. Everyone stole glances at her.

Marinette tilted her head. Something strange was going on. What were they all up to?

Marinette sighed. She supposed it didn't matter since they invited her with ulterior motives. But that didn't mean she wouldn't take this chance to find out what they were.

"Haha ya! Their names are Claude and Allegra." She replied with a smile.

"Maybe you could introduce us? Making new friends s always super fun!" Alya exclaimed.

"Sure, if they have time today. Once school over, we're gonna be in a bit of a rush since I have to meet someone. They're dropping me off." Marinette said nervously. She forgot to let Chloe notice in advance. She decided to give an apologetic glance at Chloe.

Their eyes met. Chloe smiled. "Do you want me to come with you Marinette? Claude and Allegra are crazy sometimes!"

The class glanced between the two.

"Thanks, Chloe! Uhhh, but I'm actually going to be meeting uhhh... you know, he-who-we-talked-about-the-other-day." Marinette lightly blushed. She did not want anyone else to know that she was going to see Felix since he was probably as famous as Adrien, maybe even more.

Chloe brightened as the class grew suspicious. "Okay!"

"Um, Marinette? Who are you going to meet?" Alix asked.

"Ya tell us! So we can look out for you, in case anything happens! There are some weird people out there nowadays!" Someone near Chloe chimed in. It kinda sounded like Mylene.

The whole class nodded and agreed in approval.

Marinette cringed. They were too obvious. It was time to cut it out. "Thanks, everyone for the concern, the person I'm meeting today and I have something important to talk about. It's kind of a personal matter that I'm not comfortable with talking about. Sorry, but I can't say anymore." Marinette said with a tone that left no room for discussion.

Some people in the class flinched. Chloe smirked. Marinette was a literal queen.

Chloe glanced around the room. While most of the class wouldn't dare to say anything more, there was one person.

Lila.

"Marinette! How could you say that! We're your friends, you shouldn't brush us off. We're all super concerned for you. Who are you going to-" Lila exaggeratedly gasped. "Marinette! You not actually going to start sleeping around again! After I told you not to! It's dangerous!"

The class agreed defiantly and began to demand answers.

Chloe clenched her fists. Marinette was in trouble. The more she said against Lila, the worst it would be. Currently, the class viewed Lila as a representation of what they wanted. If Marinette went against Lila, it would show the class that Marinette did not care and would only make them more furious and ostracize her more.

"Guys." Everyone looked at Marinette at the sound of her voice. Marinette smiled. "I'm sorry. I didn't really think you guys cared about me this much." Marinette smiled. She absolutely hated apologizing but she had to bear it. Marinette was no longer confident enough to stand up for herself. But that didn't mean she'd let Lila lie and harm her reputation anymore.

She sighed. Now it was time to reel them in. "But don't worry. I'm just meeting a client for some commissions. I said it was really personal because I'm really motivated to design for this person. I can't disclose this person's identity for business reasons. I hope you all understand."

Technically this wasn't a lie. While she wasn't going to meet Jagged (the client) today, the class didn't need to know this.

The class was stunned. Most began to half-heartedly apologize while others just fumed. Lila's face was red. Marinette glanced at her and sent her a pointed smile.

Lila sent her a dirty look then scowled. While this exchange went unnoticed to the class, Adrien was able to witness it since he was sitting right next to Lila.

As the conversation began and turned away from her, Marinette was left deep in thought.

Was complying with Lila the only way to fix her friendships with her peers? While Marinette did not go along with Lila's lies today, she still pretended to be in the wrong and had to apologize to people who pretended to be fake with worry, just so that they could get answers from her.

Marinette clenched her fist. What the hell?

Was this really the only way to stay in grace with her classmates? By staying silent and agreeing to Lila's bullshit?

Even if Marinette did nothing about Lila's lies, wouldn't Lila still antagonize her?

...

No there had to be another way.

For now, she just had to get some good advice on her situation. From whom, she didn't know, but with good insight, she could return things back to the way they were. Until then, Marinette had to stay strong.

Marinette let out a troubled sigh.

"Is there something wrong Marinette?" Alya asked, as the rest of the class grew rowdy and goofed around.

"It's fine, nothing is wrong." Marinette smiled and paused. The bell that signaled that lunch was over began to ring.

"I've just decided to deal with you idiots until I can expose Lila's lies." The bell stopped ringing. It was just enough time for Marinette to say what she wanted.

"Huh? What was that? Sorry I couldn't hear you over the sound of the bell." Alya asked, confused.

Marinette laughed, although nothing about the situation was funny. "Haha, that's okay. I was just wondering if we all could go watch a movie tomorrow after school?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for this late update. 
> 
> -After vacationing in San Fransisco, me and my family have decided to temporarily stay somewhere where the corona is affecting a lower amount of people. We originally live in Kern County and it's spreading fast over there.
> 
> -In addition to that, my parents have limited my use of devices. (sob sob, ik)
> 
> I'm allowed for some very limited time so it's hard to update this, but I guarantee that I WILL FINISH THIS STORY! It might not end this year or the next, but it will have an ending.
> 
> -I'm planning to put a disclaimer before chapter 1 of this story. I feel like I need to explain myself for why I wrote this story, and give my own opinion on why I haven't been satisfied with season 3 of MLB. Let me tell you, there are a lot of reasons.
> 
> -I've also been binging on webtoons (with my limited time for devices and Wi-Fi). Fans of webtoons, manwha, and manga-- IDENTIFY YOUR SELF SO THAT WE CAN FANGURL TOGETHER!
> 
> -Thanks to everyone who urged me to update- love yall. You guys can contact me on Pinterest at:
> 
> https://www.pinterest.com/sammisena/boards/
> 
> or can message me here on Wattpad (which I didn't know you could do btw). Shoutout to sarahfibble for that!
> 
> And that's all: thx for reading and have a great day!


	11. t i g e r

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya bumps into someone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating, you all must think I've dropped this.
> 
> ~I haven't~
> 
> As soon as I get my shit together, I'll start updating once a week... Thanks for all the super nice comments, I hope every single person is happy and healthy during this time.

As soon as lunch finished, the class returned to their learning environments, and the rest of the time in school was uneventful.

Alya wasn't very eager to get home today since she had to babysit after school. Lila wasn't available since she was going to visit an animal shelter. While Alya did ask if she could visit the shelter with Lila to excuse her babysitting duties, Lila regretfully told her that she would have to ask permission from the others.

Alya was disappointed but knew that Lila had a heart of gold and would never reject Alya's request unless it was for the sake of others.

As soon as the last classes for the day ended, Alya decided to procrastinate from going home by chatting with the girls in her class, excluding Marinette, Chloe, and Juleka (Rose had told them that Juleka was finishing up some work). Sabrina had recently begun to hang out with the girls after Chloe abandoned her as well.

While the girls didn't speak about the matter in front of Sabrina in fear of upsetting her, they did reassure Sabrina that it was better that Chloe was no longer her friend since she had used Sabrina for her own means.

When Chloe and Marinette first started hanging out together, Alya could not believe her eyes. Chloe had actually just come back from a trip to New York. Both Chloe and Marinette being friends began to later make sense to the class.

They were both bullies who hated Lila.

When Alya first met Marinette, she fell in love with her personality and considered her the bestest friend she had ever had. It was a connection that she didn't even have with Lila. But as time passed, Marinette's jealousy grew. Alya knew that Marinette loved Adrien, but she never knew that she would go as far as to bully another girl who liked Adrien.

As Alya pushed Marinette to stop bullying Lila, she could feel their friendship breaking apart.

After Lila began to appear with bruises, begging Alya to not tell the teachers, Alya decided to take action. Of course, she kept her promise to Lila to not tell the teachers.

Alya warned the whole class. She told them what Marinette had done.

Alya shuddered. She still remembered the day Lila came crying telling her that she had found out that Marinette was sleeping around since she couldn't get ahold of Adrien. Lila had told Marinette to stop, but Marinette wouldn't listen. Eventually, Lila, who was concerned over Marinette's safety, threatened to tell her parents. Marinette, out of rage, beat Lila up with one of the guys she was sleeping around with.

Alya felt nothing but rage. Later, Lila brought a picture of Marinette and a guy with brown hair and green eyes hugging and warned the class to avoid him at all costs since he was in a gang.

While Alya wanted to get revenge but knew that she could get killed if she went after a gang member. She also was furious at Marinette, but Lila pleaded with her not to do anything.

So Alya kept her promise. She wouldn't want to stoop to Marinette's level anyway.

After that incident, the entire class began to ignore Marinette unless Lila was involved. If Marinette showed any sign of hostility, they would put an end to it right away. When they did, there was only sadness in Marinette's eyes.

As the class ignored her more and more, Marinette's eyes kept getting emptier and emptier. When Alya looked into her bluebell eyes, all she saw was coldness and anger.

Why was she angry at them when she was the one at fault?

Alya shook her head. Now was not the time to think about such things. She had to go home before her parents got mad.

"Guys, I guess I gotta go. I got babysitting duties today and I don't want to be late since my parents will get mad."

"That's okay Alya! I was just about to leave as well." Rose smiled brightly.

The rest of the girls nodded along.

"Thanks for understanding! Bye then-" Alya bumped into someone.

As she stumbled a group of sturdy hands steadied her.

"Oh gosh, sorry about that." She apologized.

"No, sorry. It's totally my fault." A soothing voice replied. Alya looked up.

There stood the most handsome boy she had ever seen in her life!

His completion was similar to Nino's and he had dark brown hair with slight curls at the end. He had a sharp jawline and thick eyelashes as well. What captivated Alya the most, however, was his beautiful golden eyes that looked like they belonged to a tiger.

Alya barely heard her friends gasp behind her. She felt her face blush. It was a good thing that Nino had already gone home.

Lila and the rest walked up to her and the handsome guy. The guy let go of Alya's waist and took a step back, which made Alya disappointed.

"Are you guys okay?" Lila worriedly asked. She too could not get her eyes off the handsome boy. Alya didn't blame her.

Both Alya and the boy nodded. "I've never seen you around here before, what your name?" Lila asked. Her voice sounded similar to when she talked to Adrien.

"Haha! I'm not actually from around here. My name's Claude." Claude smiled gently.

The girls behind her gasped but Alya didn't notice. Just where had she heard that name before?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess summer is over huh? 😭 Yup... I'm finally in my sophomore year. I have more classes than last year, and all of them are college leveled courses so forgive me if I stop updating.
> 
> I WILL BEGIN AN UPDATE SCHEDULE SOON~ THERE WILL SOON BE A CHAPTER ONCE A WEEK!
> 
> Sooo... What are some shows you guys like watching? Recommend me some!
> 
> Bye yall: Stay safe!


	12. c r o w d

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette meets Claude!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, a chapter on Sunday! Hopefully, I can keep up with this schedule. Also, please read the author's note at the end.

Marinette was out of breath. It had been a while since school had ended, but because Adrien needed to talk to her, Marinette was not able to leave right away.

Her blood boiled at the words Adrien had thrown at her.

After class had finished, Adrien asked to talk to Marinette. It turned out that the 'talk' was just him telling her to not provoke Lila again like she did a few days ago.

Marinette sighed. She seriously felt like crying. Imagine the boy you like- no love, telling you to just keep your emotions in check. What a shitty situation she was in.

And now she was also late to her meeting with Felix. Hopefully, Claude was still here.

As Marinette fast-walked through the halls, she noticed that the halls were surprisingly empty. Usually, even though school had ended, students would hang around at least until the sun started to set. To say the least, something must have been happening at the front of the school.

Marinette was right. A ridiculously large amount of students were gathered in the same spot near the stairs. What was going on?

Marinette shook her head. She didn't have time to find out. Marinette had to find Claude before he left.

As she scanned the area, she saw no sign of the handsome boy. Plus, the crowd near her was extremely distracting.

After searching for a whole minute, Marinette decided to just call him. While waiting for him to pick up, she noticed that the crowd was getting bigger.

Finally, Claude picked up.

"Hello?" Marinette asked.

"Uhhh hey, Marinette. Where are you?" Claude asked from the other side. Marinette winced at how much noise there was in the background. It must have sounded the same for him since she had a crowd near her.

"I'm actually in front of the school. There's a huge crowd right next to me." She replied.

"Ohhhh! Haha, that's funny! I'm actually inside the crowd. Just give me a sec."

Marinette raised her eyebrows. "Wait, what?!" she exclaimed, but the boy had already hung up.

She turned her head to look at the crowd.

Low and behold, after a few seconds, Claude emerged from the crowd. The people in the crowd followed Claude as he made his way towards Marinette.

"Uhhhhhhh...." Marinette was baffled at how things had turned out. Claude gave a gentle smile and Marinette realized that she was staring.

"Oh! Hi Claude. Sorry again about being late!" Marinette quickly composed herself and grinned like she hadn't been gaping at the handsome specimen.

"No problem mademoiselle." He took her hand and lightly kissed it like Chat Noir would have done.

The crowd behind gasped, even though the gesture was pretty common.

Marinette giggled. Claude's attitude didn't seem flirty, but friendly instead. He did have a girlfriend after all.

Claude let go of Marinette's hand. "Should we go now? Fel- ahem- my bro hates being left waiting." 

Marinette nodded. Claude must have known that this was a private meeting between the two of them.

"Then follow me, Mari." 

Marinette tilted her head at the nickname. She smiled. She had a feeling that she and Claude were going to be great friends.

As Marinette walked next to Claude, she felt the eyes of everyone in the crowd. So much for keeping it down low. Some were even taking pictures. She just hoped that no scandals came out of this like the one with Adrien, even though she knew that there probably would be one. 

She sighed and glanced behind her one last time. A pair of dark brown and olive green eyes caught her gaze for a second. They were like sharp knives piercing through her, but Marinette forced herself to look up in the front.

It seemed that Alya and Lila had something to say to her when school started again on Monday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty short chapter this week, I know.
> 
> I'll make up for it next chapter or the one after tho. 
> 
> -I feel, no think, that this story is moving at a realllyyyy slow pace. I'm really sorry about that but thats just the way I write. I think the characters need to be properly introduced first so that the story can begin moving at a faster pace. We're only 12 chapters in tho, so please be patient. This is actually the first fanfiction that I've written more that five chapters for.
> 
> -I added an explanation of why I wrote this fic and placed it before chapter one. If you guys haven't read it yet, plz do. It's not relevant to the story but I need to know if I'm the only one who thinks that way or not. I've also put my update schedule there. For everyone reading from archiveofourown, the explanation is on Wattpad. I couldn't find a way to post it here,
> 
> -I've been starting to draw digitally. If you guys want I can make some digital fanart and post it here... please comment below.
> 
> -Soooo...I had my first college class (ZOOM) this week. As you all know, I'm a sophomore, but am taking college courses. I had to talk to some of the other students as an assignment and it was soooo awkward. I connect really well to people if I want to (I switch between being an introvert and extrovert), but it was impossible to since I was the only one who had my camera and mic on.
> 
> Anyways... share an awkward or embarrassing story about yourself. I'd love to know more about you guys! 
> 
> Have a great day!


	13. c o o k i e s

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette meets Allegra!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We finally get to meet Allegra! As I was writing this, I couldn't help but smile.

"Sorry about that. I wanted to pick you up without making a scene, but I guess that didn't go as planned. Hehe..." Claude apologized as soon as they were far away from the crowd. 

"It's okay... " Marinette said. "By the way, where is your car?"

They were in an area that was a few buildings away from the school. Not many people paid attention to them here.

"Actually, I parked it near here so that we wouldn't draw attention. I also left Al-" A loud honk cut him off. 

Many more car horn noises followed. Claude paled.

"Um, what's wrong?"

Claude laughed nervously. "Ahehe, welllllll... I left my hungry girlfriend in the car...." 

Marinette grimaced. "Oof. That is something you should NEVER do."

Claude chuckled pathetically.

As they made their way towards the car that was honking, Marinette prepared herself to meet Claude's hungry and angry girlfriend. When Claude opened the door to his fancy and expensive-looking car, a pair of hands tackled him.

"AHHHH!"

"You! You said it would only take five minutes!" A beautiful but angry voice yelled out.

Marinette took the sight in front of her. Claude was being strangled by a beautiful girl that had brownish-red hair, tan skin, and angry red eyes. 

"Allegra... I'm sorryyyyy..." Claude whined like a puppy. He could still breathe since the girl, Allegra, wasn't actually strangling him.

"Ummm... Actually it's my fault we were late. I'm really sorry." It took Marinette courage to speak up.

Allegra looked up. Her eyes widened and she immediately stood up. "Omigosh, I'm sooo sorry about that."

Marinette smiled. "It's okay. And... I have some cookies in my bag if you want. They are a bit stale tho....." Marinette said uncertainly. Allegra seemed to be one of those people who was born and raised with a golden spoon in their mouths. Marinette secretly hoped that Allegra would have a similar personality to Claude. Her wish came true.

Allegra gasped. "Really! Yes plz!" If she had a tail it would have been wagging like crazy. 

Marinette handed the cookies over to Allegra. They were from her family's bakery but Marinette always kept extras for Tikki.

Allegra squealed. "You're my new best friend! I officially love you more than Claude right now!" 

Claude picked himself up from the floor and grumbled. 

"Haha thanks, I guess. By the way, do they taste okay?"

Allegra who was stuffing her face with the cookies nodded ecstatically. She had tears in her eyes. 

After she finished the cookies, she knelt on the floor. The position made her look like a saintess praying to the heavens. 

"You are an absolute angel!"

Marinette blushed. She turned to Claude out of embarrassment. He just shrugged and winked. 

Allegra got up. "By the way, where did you get those godly cookies from? I've never tasted anything so good in my life!"

Claude piped in. "Speaking of cookies, you didn't save a single one for your precious boyfriend!" He raised his brow at Allegra angrily.

Allegra gave an unimpressed look towards Claude. "This precious boyfriend of mine doesn't deserve the angel's miracle when he leaves his hungry girlfriend in the car waiting."

Claude looked like he was ready to argue, so Marinette stepped in. "I actually have more in my bag." She handed more cookies to both of them. "And Allegra, to answer your question. They're actually from my family's bakery."

Both Allegra and Claude seemed genuinely impressed.

As Claude tasted the cookies, his eyes seemed to sparkle brighter. "Wow! These are out of the world! She's not an angel, she's a goddess!"

"No, she's an angel!" Allegra refuted angrily. "She's my angel!"

"Nuh-uh! A goddess, I say!" Claude threw back. The two began to argue back and forth on which Marinette was.

Marinette's face was cherry red.

A few minutes later, the trio hopped into Claude's car and began making their way to the place that Felix wanted to meet at.

Marinette had a fun time learning more about Claude and Allegra. They were fun to hang with. Even though they bickered a lot, they also seemed to be genuinely in love.

"Ooo! I forgot! You guys are wearing similar-looking uniforms to my friend Kagami." Marinette said. Allegra was wearing the same uniform Kagami always wore while Claude was wearing the male version.

"You know Kagami? Well, we actually go to the same school. It's DelaCour lycee, I don't know if you've heard of it." Allegra answered.

"What! Did you just say DelaCour?!"

That was the lycee Marinette was going to attend to in a few months!

Allegra and Claude voiced their confusion. "What wrong?"

Marinette shook her head. "No, nothing's wrong. It's just that I'll be attending there in about two months." 

The couple visibly brightened and began to excitedly talk at the same time.

"Omgeeee! Our friendship was meant to be! Ahhhhhh! I'm so happy!" Allegra exclaimed.

"That's sooo awesome! I look forward to it Mari!" Claude said. Even though they were all happily talking, he kept his steady hands on the wheel with his eyes on the road- never once letting any distraction put them in danger.

Marinette brightened. "Thank guys!"

Allegra blushed. Then she turned and poked Claude. "By tha way, why do you get to call her a nickname, huh?"

"Because I met her first, duh!"

Allegra disregarded Claude's answer. "Well, I'm calling her Mari from now on too!"

Claude began to protest, while Allegra didn't seem to listen. 

Marinette chuckled. This was one of the first times in a few months that she had had this much fun. Hopefully, this couple would be different from Alya and Nino.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keeping up with my update schedule! Yay!
> 
> -I'm thinking of making a story on Wattpad. What do you guys think?
> 
> Pretty short note this time. Love yall, stay safe!


	14. p a t h e t i c

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette finally arrived at the cafe...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol, I was supposed to post last week but I couldn't. Sorry about that. 
> 
> Say hi to Felix again!

After half an hour of driving, they had finally reached the famous cafe, La Belle Vie. Marinette's heart thumped nervously in her chest. It was finally time to see Felix.

She and Allegra exchanged numbers. Claude promised her that he would be back to pick her up by five. After she saw Claude and Allegra off, Marinette nervously walked into the cafe.

It was a very comfy but clean looking place that had the scent of coffee and freshly baked muffins wafting in the air. There was quite a lot of people, but the tables were separated enough for the conversations to be private. 

Marinette looked around. Felix was nowhere in sight. She sighed.

He gave off the feeling of someone who would be on time right to the exact second. She sent a quick text telling him that she was here.

He replied immediately.

_Sorry, I had to deal with something annoying. I'm on my way. Go ahead and order, everything on that menu is really good._

After reading Felix's text, Marinette wandered to the counter and ordered a muffin for herself. Then after a moment of contemplation, she ordered a black coffee for Felix.

After receiving her order, she made her way to a table in the corner. It was near a huge window, but the wall covered the other side of the table. There were no people seated in the two tables near it.

Marinette took the seat that was next to the window. That way, Felix would be able to spot her immediately. 

As she dug into her muffin, she couldn't help but widen her eyes in amazement. It was super good!

By the next minute, half the muffin was already gone. Marinette was enjoying herself too much, so she didn't notice when someone had walked up to the table and took a seat in front of her. 

When she realized someone else was in her presence, Marinette looked up. She blushed. It was Felix. Marinette hastily wiped the area around her mouth. 

Feeling embarrassed that she hadn't noticed him sooner, all Marinette could do was hope that there were no crumbs on her.

Marinette then pushed the black coffee she had ordered to Felix's side of the table.

"Um, I wasn't sure if you wanted anything so I just got you a black coffee." She told him in a timid voice.

"Well, it's a good thing that I happen to like black coffee. I trust that Claude and Allegra weren't acting too stupid in front of you, hopefully." Felix replied with his gorgeous voice.

Marinette giggled. As she took a closer look at Felix, his eyes were back to green, unlike the time when she had gotten stuck at his house. He looked very much like Adrien, except instead of emerald green eyes, his eyes had more of a dark forest tone to them. She wondered if the darker color was the result of his diamond blue eyes and the green contacts.

Marinette couldn't help but notice the differences between Felix and Adrien. It was probably a result of being obsessed with the young french model for so long. While Adrien was more casual and impulsive, Felix was calculated and careful. Also, unlike Adrien's awkward but puppy-like friendliness, Felix gave off more _mature_ and _seductive_ vibes.

As Felix took a sip of his coffee, Marinette quickly looked away from his face. 

"I apologize for being late. There was a... pest I had to get rid of." Marinette raised her brow at Felix's comment. It didn't seem like this 'pest' was an actual bug.

Marinette smiled. "It quite all right. I was going to be late as well. And um, since I got here early, I apologize if I did not choose the ideal table. I've never been to this cafe." Marinette knew that people chose their favorite places to sit whenever they frequented at one place. She had experienced it many times with customers at her parents' bakery.

"It's fine. You actually chose the perfect spot. That pest I mentioned earlier is actually a girl who fancies stalking me and then claiming that she bumping into me are coincidences when she gets caught. This is the best choice since I was able to see you from the outside, but no one is able to see me through the window."

Marinette smiled awkwardly. Felix ignored the awkwardness and took a sip from his coffee. Then after a moment, he began to speak again. The atmosphere around them in the cafe suddenly turned more businesslike.

"For the reason I called you here, I just want you to know that I have no intention of blackmailing you or telling anyone that you are Ladybug." He said in a much quieter tone.

Marinette tilted her head. "How do I know that what you're telling me is true? If you think I will trust your word on a whim, you're very mistaken." She whispered in a steely tone.

He let out a melodic laugh. "You're much smarter than I thought you were and less pathetic than I remember."

Marinette raised her brow. "Pathetic?"

Felix gave a cat-like smile, that was much different than Adrien's gentle grin. She couldn't help but feel a chill. "Do you want me to tell a little story, Miss I-love-you?"

Marinette squinted her bluebell eyes as she stared at Felix's forest green ones. Miss I-love-you? He obviously was not confessing to her.

She gestured him to continue. 

"Well, a little less than a year prior, maybe say 9 months? Anyways, I returned back to Paris for a short time to visit my dear cousin and uncle after the death of my father. I'm not sure exactly what was going on with Adrien that day, but he received a lot of videos from other people. I was pretty curious so I decided to look through them. Among all those videos, I happened to watch the one from you last."

Marinette felt a faint sense of realization. This should have been the same day that he had tried to kiss her when he was pretending to be Adrien!

Felix continued. "As I watched you utter the words 'Adrien, I love you', I couldn't help but feel... amusement. You were absolutely pathetic. You were after a boy who clearly had no interest in you as a romantic partner..." Felix stopped. His eyes flickered over her face in a sudden realization. 

Marinette was confused. 

Meanwhile, Felix frowned. He had just said that Adrien had no interest in her but that was completely false. He remembered looking through Adrien's phone and seeing all the pictures of Ladybug. It was clear that Adrien was infatuated, no, he was obsessed with Marinette/Ladybug as well. Both of them just didn't know each other's love for each other.

Felix grinned. For some reason, he wanted to keep it that way. Marinette tilted her head innocently, seeming to have no idea what going on in Felix's head.

Felix shook his head. "Sorry, I got a bit lost in that memory. It was very funny to me since I had dealt with many girls like you before." 

Despite his expectation, Marinette did not get mad. Instead, she just looked thoughtful. 

Then she looked straight into his eyes with her beautiful ocean blue ones. "You're right. It must have been quite funny to someone who knows how Adrien felt about me." She gave a remorseful pause. "And what he did not feel about me." She sighed before continuing. "You two are pretty close, to my knowledge. Hopefully, you can see me as less pathetic than I was before."

Felix's eyes widened. Marinette was looking at him with embarrassment, regret, and hopefulness. 

For one painful second, Felix could feel his heart beating in his chest. Marinette kept looking at him hopefully.

What was this feeling? It was like he didn't want to disappoint her.

He stayed silent for a couple of seconds, waiting for his heart to slow down.

After it did, he once again gave his cat-like seductive smile. "Of course, hopefully."

Marinette smiled but did not look too pleased. 

Meanwhile, Felix cursed at himself for not telling her the truth. He didn't need to try to see her in a different light because he had already seen her as not pathetic just now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know this was supposed to be posted last Sunday (For archiveofourown readers, this chapter is even later. I forget sometimes that I have this fanfiction posted on two different sites. I always post first on Wattpad btw.). All I can say is that I'm sorry. My life was wayyyy too busy and stressful last week. I had either essay/speeches, portfolios, and group projects to turn in as well as tests to study for. In literally all my class!
> 
> I will update every Sunday unless my two or more of my classes are finishing their next units.
> 
> As much as I love writing this fanfiction, I do need to do my work as well.
> 
> Anyways, who else had a crazy week? I also had to watch the virtual college night. If you all have no idea what that is, google it! College night is usually a huge in-person event, but this time it was all virtual. It really sucks since I'm a sophomore, but it must suck for the juniors or seniors more. I also had a group project that was not working out. Thankfully we figured it out!
> 
> So... what are some games you guys like playing? I started playing this really cool one called Among Us.
> 
> Bye, Have a great day!


	15. m y s t e r i o u s

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Negotiations continue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this is late! (ᗒᗣᗕ)

A tense silence grew between the pair. Both Marinette and Felix stared into each others' eyes, waiting for the other person to say something. Eventually, Felix decided to talk first.

"Anyways, Miss-I-love-you, can I ask for the reason you don't trust me?"

Marinette smiled, but there no joy within her smile. "I have two reasons Mr.... um...." Marinette recalled the time Felix had asked her not to call him Mr. Graham de Vanily. What was she supposed to call him?

Felix calmly smiled. "Just Felix is fine."

Marinette nodded. "Then I prefer you call me by name as well." 

Felix's calm smile turned into a seductive grin. He didn't reply. Marinette squinted her eyes but then sighed. "A-hem. As I was saying, there are two reasons why I don't trust you. First of all, since this matter determines the fate of Paris, I cannot take your word so lightly. Secondly, I've learned the hard way of what happens when trust is betrayed."

Felix looked thoughtful for a few seconds. "Then we are at an impasse, Miss Ladybug."

Marinette looked straight into the gorgeous boy's eyes. "Precisely. Which means we still need to come up with the terms of the agreement."

Felix gave a smirk. "So is there anything you want other than me keeping silent about your identity?"

Marinette nodded. "Let's meet like this every one or two weeks. I'm going to need to constantly make sure that you keep quiet."

"But I am a very busy person, Miss-I-love-you."

Marinette frowned. "Then I will visit your residence myself."

"Hmmm. I could have sworn you texted me that your partner told you to not visit anyone." 

"That is correct. However, I'm quite good at sneaking around. How do you think I've been Ladybug all this time without being caught by anyone?"

Felix tilted his head. Some of his pale blond hair was swept to the side. "Very well."

"Good. I will visit your resident every Thursday for two months."

"Why two months?" 

Marinette smiled. "Well, just a few weeks ago, I had gotten my acceptance letter to DelaCour lycee."

"I see..." Felix gave no reaction to her declaration.

"So what is it that you want in this agreement, Felix?"

Felix shrugged. "Well... I would ask you to prioritize saving the people I care about in a crisis... but that wouldn't be very heroic of you would it now?"

Marinette tilted her head. "I can't give you my word on that, however, I will do my best to save anyone from harm, regardless of who they are to you."

Felix nodded. He seemed to hesitate for a second before bringing up his second term. "Then what I want is for you to help me get back the remaining ring of the Graham de Vanily family from my uncle."

Marinette looked thoughtful for a while. "Isn't that considered stealing?"

Felix shook her head. "Think of it as giving it back to the rightful owner."

Marinette continued to hesitate. Felix sighed. "There are many shady secrets in the Agreste and Graham de Vanily family that even I don't know about. If you help me retrieve the ring, everything unjust will come to light." Felix said in a lowered tone. He and Marinette made eye contact.

Marinette's eyes trembled at how firm Felix was in taking his own relatives down. She gave a solid nod. "Very well. But I will not be dragging anyone innocent into these matters, whether they are related to you or not. From now on, this will include you, me, and those you want to take down."

Felix gave a dangerous but gorgeous smile. 

'So she wants to protect Adrien, huh?'

Marinette knew the Felix knew she was implying Adrien when she said anyone innocent.

"Of course, Marinette. I wouldn't dare bring innocent people into this matter."

Marinette stiffened at the use of her name. It was the first time he had ever called her by it. Even though they were talking about such dangerous matters, she couldn't help how her heart skipped a beat when he said her name. 

Still, despite her inner turmoil, she firmly nodded her head. Felix smirked, seeming aware of what was going on in her head.

An uncomfortable silence surrounded them. Marinette checked the time of her phone. 

5:05 p.m.

Claude would be here any minute.

Marinette clearing her throat. "Didn't you say that you had a photoshoot soon? Shouldn't you go and get ready?"

Felix gave her an angelic grin. "Trying to get rid of me? I still have some time left to spare."

Marinette frowned. 

Before she could come up with anything to talk about, Felix decided to say something. "Oh, by the way, I believe it was you who took my coat on that day of that akuma."

Marinette flinched. "Yes, I apologize for that. I'll get it back to you as soon as possible. "

She had forgotten all about the coat! Marinette had put it into the depts of her closet in case Cat Noir visited.

Felix nodded his head. "Yes, please do. That was a custom made coat made by my uncle."

Marinette's eyes widened. No wonder it was so stylish. She quickly apologized once more. "I'm so sorry I took it. I didn't know it had sentimental value."

Marinette glanced at Felix. He had a bitter expression. He quickly shook her head when he realized that she noticed. "It's fine. I don't really care about that coat." he refuted her claim.

Marinette was about to ask more when she noticed Claude's car arriving. Both Felix and Marinette stood up at the same time. In silence, both made their way to the car that Claude was waving from. 

Marinette gently smiled at Claude and got in the backseat with Allegra.

"Bro, don't you have to get ready for a photoshoot? Why are you still here?" Claude asked Felix. 

Felix gave him a dead stare and simply said, "I had time left to spare."

Claude and Allegra looked confused, but Felix paid no mind. 

He gave gentle smile at Marinette's direction. "I'll see you next time, Miss-I-love-you."

Marinette lightly blushed and rolled her eyes. "Sure. See ya, Felix."

As Claude began driving away from the cafe, Marinette couldn't keep her eyes off the fading figure of the mysterious boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a week late, I know, and I'm sorry.
> 
> -I'm not on good terms with my dad right now and we haven't talked to each other in a week, so maybe that's affecting me.
> 
> -I've also been trying to work on some of my other projects.
> 
> -My stylus also broke so now I can't do digital art. ಠ_ಠ Next time I update, I will include a drawing I did of Marinette in my sketchbook. It's pretty old and drawn pretty bad, but I hope you guys will like it.
> 
> -I'm not sure if I will update next week. If I do update next week, then I probably won't update the week after. Sorry, my life is pretty chaotic right now. Maybe I'll tell y'all about my dramatic life later. Lol spoiler: includes toxic friends and boy drama.
> 
> -Anyways... I watched the new miraculous movie with some of my friends at their house. I gotta say that I really enjoyed it, even tho the ending seemed a bit rushed. The scene where SPOILER: Adrien and Marinette were dancing under the moon is one of my favorites. Also, I really thought that the scenes where Marinette is trying to get through the automatic doors with Adrien were hilarious. ت
> 
> -I also got a sewing machine, which is pretty funny to me. One of my friends and I call each other 'kitty/chaton' and 'Milady'. They're acting as Cat Noir, while I'm Marinette. We have some pretty freaky characteristics that are similar to our own characters (ex: I'M ALWAYS SUPER LATE TO CLASS).
> 
> Anyways, thx for all the support. Love y'all! ◕◡◕


	16. c o u s i n ~ 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝟙

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Say hi to Marinette's cousin!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BTW: this is where my first OC comes in.

After a pleasant and entertaining car ride with Claude and Allegra, Marinette finally arrived home at around 5:30. Thankfully, she had texted her parents beforehand, telling them that she had something important to do.

She finished most of her homework, took a bath, did some yoga, and played some _Ultimate Mecha Strike III_ with her dad before calling it a day.

When she woke up the next morning, Marinette couldn't help but be in high spirits. It was a Friday after all.

While she was getting ready for school, she couldn't help but hum in joy. Yesterday, before going to bed, her cousin Jack had asked to hang out since he was free on Fridays.

Because of this, Marinette decided to change her outfit up a bit. While she still kept her hair in two pigtails, she decided to wear a loose electric green tee with black leggings. At first glance, one might think that they were Cat Noir colors, but to Marinette, the electric green tee was there to match her cousin's eyes. The black legging was something she thought looked well with the shirt.

After eating breakfast, Marinette cheerfully walked to school. When the entrance came into view, Marinette stopped dead in her tracks. 

All the cheerfulness flooded away as she recalled what looks Alya and Lila had given her yesterday. She nervously gulped. Then she shook her head and gave a determined smile. Whatever came her way today didn't matter. It's not like she cared about what Alya and Lila did since they had done worse before.

As she unfalteringly walked into school, she was shocked when some of her classmates came to greet her.

Previously, they had just ignored her. So what had changed?

Her thoughts went unanswered as she made her way to the classroom. She might as well get some extra work done early and study for a test that would be coming up.

While Marinette sat at her desk and started getting work done, Chloe arrived and said her greetings. 

As the girls began chatting quietly over what happened yesterday, Alya walked over to them.

"Morning Marinette."

Marinette looked up. "Good morning, Alya." She gave a gentle smile, even though she was vary on the inside.

Alya smiled back. "Do you maybe wanna sit with me today?"

Marinette glanced over to Alya's table. Nino wasn't there yet, but Marinette was pretty sure she had passed him in the halls.

"Uhhhh, I'm sorry but I don't think I can do that Alya. It's not cool if I suddenly take Nino's seat without asking." Marinette made a reference to what Alya did when Lila returned. The remark went right through Alya's head.

"I'm pretty sure Nino won't mind." 

Marinette glanced back at Alya's table. "Maybe next time Alya. Nino is already waiting for you there. I'll ask him if I can next time." Marinette had no intention of sitting next to Alya. Since Lila and Adrien sat in front, she was perfectly fine where she was and she did not need any more drama in her life. 

Alya look disappointed and left reluctantly.

School ended pretty quickly for Marinette after that with surprisingly no drama for the rest of the day. Before her last class started, her cousin texted her saying that he would pick her up by motorcycle.

Marinette inwardly cheered. She loved her cousin's motorcycle.

After her last class ended, Marinette cheerfully made her way to the front of her school with Chloe. She had already filled Chloe in about her plans for today and decided to let Chloe and Jack meet before they left.

When they got outside, there was no sign of her cousin. 

"Uhhh, I think my cousin might be a few minutes late, Chloe. Sorry about that."

Chloe giggled. "You two are for sure related then."

Marinette sheepishly grinned. "Yup, we get that a lot. Actually, we're both clutzes to." Both girls laughed and chattered away on the front steps.

A few minutes later, the sound of a motorcycle was heard.

People around then stopped chatting and turned their heads to look at the newcomer.

The newcomer parked their motorcycle and took their helmet off. As he scanned the steps of the school, his eyes fell on Marinette and Chloe, who weren't paying attention to anything around them. The guy smirked and quickly made his way to the girls.

Without warning, Marinette felt herself being picked up and spun around.

She shrieked and then laughed uncontrollably as she saw who it was.

"Jackson-Pierre Dupain put me down!"

Jackson-Pierre, or Jack Perry as most people knew him as laughed cheekily and put Marinette down.

"Sorry Mari, I was just way too excited to see you again." Jack said.

"Haha, I missed you too!" Both cousins hugged. 

Jack turned to Chloe. "By the way, whos your friend?"

Marinette perked up, as she had forgotten that Chloe was here. "Oh, um sorry! Jack this is my friend Chloe. Chloe this is Jackson-Pierre, but I just call him Jack or Perry."

Jack smiled. "Nice to meet you."

Chloe smiled back. "Nice to meet you too." She turned to Marinette and lowered her voice. "By the way Marinette, when were you going to tell me that your cousin is a world-ranked gamer?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note:
> 
> Hey... It's been more than a month since I updated, huh?
> 
> There's just so much going on... But hopefully, everything will be back on track soon.
> 
> This past month had probably been the most exhausting one in my high school career.
> 
> I'm not going to get into too much detail... but let's just say I had almost 3 essays due each week (not exaggerating) and some family problems along the way. 
> 
> I'm going to try and write-ahead and maybe update two more chapters today... but no promises.
> 
> Anyways, anything interesting going on in yall's lives?


	17. g i r l

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette spends a relaxing day with her cousin...

_Jack smiled. "Nice to meet you."_

_Chloe smiled back. "Nice to meet you too." She turned to Marinette and lowered her voice. "By the way Marinette, when were you going to tell me that your cousin is a world-ranked gamer?!"_

Marinette blinked. "Oh gosh! Did I forgot to mention that?"

Chloe giggled. "Yup. You also forgot to tell me that your cousin is a known worldwide youtube star."

Jack laughed. "Haha, ya. I get that I am pretty famous, but please don't treat me any differently from Marinette, Miss-daughter-of-a-fashion-mogul-and-mayor.

Chloe raised her brow and smirked. "Touche. Your achievements are pretty impressive though. I'm not much of a gamer, but even I know about you."

"Haha, Me and Jack might have to teach you how to play sometime, Chloe." Marinette giggled. 

"Oh okay, but don't kick my butt too much, please!"

The three of them laughed. After a few minutes of chatting, Chloe's ride arrived. When Chloe was gone, both Marinette and Jack made their way to his motorcycle.

Marinette whistled. She wasn't very interested in cars, but Jack's motorcycle never ceased to impress her. After Marinette put her helmet on, she couldn't help but scan the front of her school in worry. Lila and Alya were nowhere to be seen, however many people were taking pictures of her and Jack. 

Marinette sighed. There was nothing she could do about it. After Jack hopped on the vehicle, Marinette also got on and put her arms around Jack's waist. 

"Ready?" Jack asked.

Marinette smiled and nodded.

After the sound of the beautiful but loud rumble of the motorcycle hit her ears, Marinette could feel the wind rush past her as they drove away from the school. It was an amazing feeling, kind of similar to flying.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the spot Jack wanted to show her.

As Marinette hopped off the motorcycle, she couldn't seem to keep her eyes off the scenery. It was an enormous park with plenty of pine trees that surrounded it. Wild squirrels ran here and there and she could hear the laughter of children in the distance.

Beyond the trees, they could see a lake and cute little ducks on the surface of the water.

"Oh wow! This is so cool."

Jack smiled. "I'm glad you like it. Wanna swing?" He pointed his head towards the playground, where a set of swings were left unused.

Marinette giggled and walked up to one of the swings. She sat down and prepared the launch herself.

Marinette nearly jumped in surprise as Jack began to push her, just like when they were little kids.

After a few minutes of feeling the air rush from being swung, Jack and Marinette decided to walk towards the lake. There were tons of ducks and geese swimming in the lake, and luckily, Marinette had some leftover slices of a baguette from her lunch. As they fed the ducks, they decided to catch up with each other and recall their childhood.

Jack and Marinette had known each other since they were toddlers. Jack was the son of Marinette's aunt, who was her father's sister. They had always been close with each other, but after Jack started participating in gaming tournaments, he was offered a chance to become a national gamer at 13. After he had accepted, he began to travel the world to attend competitions and gaming-cons. He eventually began to become well known in the gaming community.

Marinette and Jack began to discuss what their favorite games for the year were so far. As both were engrossed in a heated argument over glitches in the Mecha Strike Series, they almost didn't notice when a girl their age tripped behind them.

Both got up simultaneously and rushed towards the girl.

"Are you okay?" Marinette called as she checked the girl's exposed knees.

Marinette winced at the bad sight in front of her. Both of the girl's knees were scraped badly and were bleeding.

"Haha, yup I'm okay. I'm pretty clumsy sometimes." The girl laughed melodically.

Marinette looked up.

A gasp escaped her mouth and her eyes couldn't believe what she was seeing.

In front of Marinette, sat a girl who closely resembled Adrien's mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Guys, I think I'm gonna need to be completely clear with y'all. This update schedule thing is not working for me. So instead of saying that I might update and disappoint y'all, I think I'm just going to stick with random updates. Sorry.
> 
> -Anyway, the reason I didn't update this month is because I was having problems with my ears. I lost hearing in one of my ears and had to start taking medications. My ears are good now, but it was super painful while it lasted.
> 
> \- I've been offered to write on the platform W e b n o v e l. I just began putting chapters for Neglect up there, so go and check me out (my username is: sammisena). I think I might actually write a novel there too. Idek if I can make money off there but if I could that would be cool. If you guys know more about this platform give me some more info in the comments, please!
> 
> -I've changed my username! I made the user Gingergrowl (wattpad) when I was 8ish. It was inspired by an imaginary pet tiger. Now that I'm older I thought that I would change it a bit.
> 
> -I made the cover of Neglect clearer and changed the name a bit. 
> 
> -The scene where Marinette and Jack are on the motorcycle is kinda inspired by my own life. My cousin actually owns a motorcycle and it was a really cool experience to ride on.
> 
> Have you guys ever ridden on a motorcycle before?


End file.
